CreatingCharacters
So you want to create an Original Character (OC)? Great! This page will give you everything you need to know! Your Character Concept Concepts to Avoid Firstly, look at the concepts listed in Overdone. Some are "rare" and some are outright "reject" material. Character Name This is one of the more subjective parts of the application. "Transformery" is hard to define, but usually it's easy to tell when a name is NOT "Transformery". Every character needs a name. What kind of name it is depends on the species of your OC. Name ideas can be seen on the OC Ideas page. * For Transformers, most OC names should be words whose definitions relate directly to a part of the character. Take as examples the FCs Slingshot, Blades, Brawl, Onslaught, Scrapper, Barrage, Broadside, Bumblebee, Eject, Hoist, Hound, Octane, Ransack, Reflector, Sandstorm, and Smokescreen as only a partial list to see what we mean. * OC Transformer names can also work if they use combinations of words with common, cliche, or unique definitions. Take as examples the FCs Dead End, Long Haul, Chopshop, Drag Strip, Red Alert, and Bluestreak. * Avoid word combinations that just put two words together that sound 'cool' but don't mean anything, like Firewing, Deathwind, Darkblade, Razorstorm, Shadowstar, Nightblast, Goldstreak, Lightsinger, etc. * Avoid Beast Wars-ish names (taking a word and adding funny syllables) like Cheetor or Waspinator, they don't sound right in the G1 universe. * For humans, well, the phone book is a good place to look. Chewbacca, Buzz Lightyear, and Zippywawa are not good ideas for human names. Foreign names are acceptable. * For Quintessons, latinized or legal-sounding names are the best way to go. When in doubt, an -icus suffix seldom hurts. Emmisarius, Astracius, Verdicus, and Legatus are good Quint names, however, they're taken. Background Make sure your origin doesn't conflict with anything in Cybertronian Creation. Also, in general "keep it simple". It's good to keep in mind that the less detail you include in your background, the less likely it is to include something "wrong". There are times where writing up a good, solid background will help you. These cases includes, but is not limited to, applying for rare concepts, Triplechangers, restricted effects, abilities, damage-levels, etc. If your OC's concept is simple, it's good to keep it simple. If your OC's concept is off the beaten path, then it might be a good idea to focus on fleshing this out more. There are also some helpful notes in the original characters section of the application. When in doubt talk to a Character Staffer! Function, Quote, Note All three of these things show up on your character's +finger which is probably the first impression most of the players will have of you. So make them good! Make them so good that people CAN'T WAIT to roleplay with you! Function Character functions are nouns. WARRIOR, GEOLOGIST, BANKER, RECONNAISSANCE, MEDIC, and ENGINEER are good examples. Functions aren't gerunds ("spying"), infinitives ("to kill"), or phrases ("Whatever he wants"). These are good examples of what not to do. A function is your IC job or occupation. No more. Please use only your character's primary focus as its function. A function of "WARRIOR AND MEDIC" for example just does not look right. Use only your main area of expertise. Quote Your character's quote is its mantra, motto, and general "I am me" statement. * "Freedom is the right of all sentient beings." * "Strike when the enemy isn't looking." * "Compassion is the Autobots' downfall." * "The best achievements are worth repeating." * "TheFasterItIsTheBetterILikeIt!" "A stitch in time saves nine" or "Saturday night's all right for fighting" are not good examples of quotes, unless you happen to be a Junkion. Note Your character's note is more or less a brief biography of your character. It is not your total life's history, nor is it a paragraph of what you look like. A note should be written in the third person present tense (i.e. "Soundwave is a walkman", not "I am a walkman" or "Soundwave was/will be a walkman".) and should follow this general outline: * 2-3 lines of information about the character's personality, common activities, and attitudes. * Optionally, 1 short line of history. * 1 line for each transformation mode (humans and Quints are considered to just have one mode) detailing the attacks, abilities, ranges, and so forth that the character possesses in that mode. * 1-2 lines about the character's special powers and abilities. * 1-2 lines about the character's flaws and weaknesses. (This needs to also include your character's protections and weaknesses) On the average, this comes out to about 7-8 lines and 100 words. When including weapons, special abilities, or skills in the note, one should be aware of what coded attacks or abilities the character actually possesses. Pricing Transformer: 2005 MUSH has recently upgraded their stats/abilities/combat system, so bear with us as pricing may change. For now, this file pertains only to new Original Characters (OCs) and those OCs who are going through the conversion process. Point Limits * Standard Transformers get 80 Character Points (CP) with which to build the character. * Cassettes get 58 CP. ** "Minibots" like Bumblebee or Huffer are at least size 4/4 and receive the usual 80cp. if your total sizes are less than 8, or 13 for a triple-changer, you are considered a cassette. * Humans get 58 CP and have some extra restrictions and bonuses. * "Aliens" are a "catch all" species for any humanoid and also get 58 CP. They share some but not all of the human rules. * Junkions are mostly like regular transformers but have armor restrictions since they are made out of junk! * Insecticons have a special dispensation concerning total sizes; They do not need to meet 13 points in total size. They can be, for instance, 5/6/1, a total of 12, and keep an 80-point budget. * Quintessons get 75 CP and have their own rules ** Note that Quintessons are not currently available for application except via explicit approval from the Character Staff Head (CSH). Converting AP to CP * When creating a new character, you can convert Advancement Points (AP) (as displayed on your +playerinfo readout) into Character Points (CP) for the new Original Character (OC) at a rate of 10 to 1. *Note: All AP sources are now treated at full value, no more 50% value for additional sources. We still need to know exactly how many AP to deduct from each source in your +playerinfo * Note that just because you have the ability to spend gobs of extra CP on an OC does not mean that OC will be approved with all the features you're applying for. It doesn't matter, for instance, if you have saved up enough points that you can afford to build a new Dinobot Commander who's way better than Grimlock and also is Prowl's girlfriend. She's still not getting approved. ;) * Character Staff automatically keeps track of any AP you had left on characters when you leave them. You can access this information by typing +playerinfo. :: Example :: I have 40 AP available on Trailbreaker, I choose to use that as my primary source: 40 / 10 = 4 CP. :: I have 20 AP available on my alt, Ravage: 20 / 10 = 2 = 2 CP :: :: In total I have have 6 CP to use on a new OC's app, on top of whatever budget (usually 80 CP) that app would normally have. Decepticon Packages Because of their relatively-inexpensive altmodes, typical Autobots are cheaper to build than typical Decepticons. In the interest of encouraging the standard body types which help make the setting familiar, we offer "discount packages" on the most numerous Decepticon body patterns. These make it more practical to build a standard Decepticon who remains competitive with the standard Autobots in spite of the thematic obligation to spend more points on the altmode. Package Decepticons have restrictions on their concepts and future upgrades to encourage them to remain standardized: * The Seeker Package, for Generic Decepticon Aerospace warriors * The Sweep Package, the only available option to create an OC Sweep Modes * All Transformers have two (2) modes by default, this does not cost anything. * Building a Triplechanger? The old-fashioned "triplechanger fee" is waived. A third mode is free, but velocity, armor, and additional attacks must still be paid. Modes beyond three are highly unlikely. * Actionmasters are not allowed. Trying to slip the equivalent of an Actionmaster past the radar by making your altmode a tiny, useless thing which is only there to apply its stat discounts to your robot mode is also not allowed, unless of course you are a Cassette, in which case it is normal. Stats * All main stats cost 1 CP per point. * Velocity is half price, costing 0.5 CP per point. It cannot be bought in increments smaller than whole points. * A new OC's main stats have a minimum of 2 points. This does not include armor or velocity. * A new OC may not have any main or mode stat higher than 8. This includes attack values, damage levels, armor and velocity. It does not include ability values. * A 5 is considered average for mental stats (Leadership, Tech, Intelligence, Courage). * A 6 is considered average for physical stats (everything else). * Character Staff will heavily scrutinize any Characters with stats of 3 or less, as min-maxing is often exploitative. Remember, if a 5 is average, a 1 does not just mean your character is "poor" in that area, it means they are severely handicapped. Core Stats * CORE Stats are: ** Endurance (END) ** Courage (COU) ** Intelligence (INT) ** Technical (TECH) ** Leadership (LDR) * All cost the standard 1 CP per point * All CORE stats are the same in every mode; if you want a mode to be tougher or more fragile than your robot mode, this is done by changing armor, not endurance. * Even the DUMBEST Transformer will have a TECH of 3. They are, after all, giant robots. Mode-Variable Stats * Mode-VARIABLE Stats are: ** Strength (STR) ** Firepower (FRP) ** Agility (AGL) -- formerly known as Speed (SPD) ** Accuracy (ACC) -- formerly known as Dexterity (DEX) * All cost the standard 1 CP per point * By default, these stats will be the same for every mode, however you can change this: ** Alt-Mode Variable Stats can differ from the primary mode by +/- 2 points ** All changes in alternate modes must net out to zero (0) for EACH mode ** You can not raise an alt-mode stat ABOVE an 8 or BELOW a 3. Mode-Variable Stats Example * You could decide that your car mode is not as powerful as your robot mode (-2 FRP in Mode 2) but more agile (AGL +2). * You could decide that you are more accurate as a jet (ACC +1) but not as strong (STR -1). * You could decide that your tank mode is both more accurate (ACC +1) and stronger (STR +1), but significantly slower (AGL -2) than your robot mode. Mode-Specific Stats * Mode-SPECIFIC Stats are: ** Velocity (VEL) ** Size (SIZ) ** Armor (ARM) * Mode Stats are specific for each mode no matter what * You must pay for Mode Stats in each mode no matter what Velocity * Velocity is half point at 0.5 CP per point. * Standard velocity for a Transformer robot is 4. If yours is less than this expect to get a question about it. * 6 is the minimum velocity for aircraft, 7 if you are a jet. * There is no velocity restriction for having the Space-Flight or FTL abilities. * You cannot buy more than 8 Velocity in one mode in CharGen. Size * Default size is five (5) ** Each increase in size costs 2 CP ** Each decrease in size will gain you 1 CP * Original Characters are not allowed to have sizes above 9 * If your total sizes for all modes drops below 8 (13 for triple-changers) you are considered a "mini" Transformer and only have 58 CP; you still get the "sell down" bonus points. * Humans have a mandatory size of two (2) and do not have to pay for it. Nor can they buy up or sell down. Armor * Armor is half point at 0.5 CP per point. * Default armor starts at 0. * Standard armor for a Transformer robot is 5. If yours is less than this expect to get a question about it. * You cannot buy more than 8 Armor in one mode in CharGen. * A list of armor ratings and examples can be seen on the armor page. * Remember the armor restrictions for Junkions! Protection Abilities * A full listing of abilities and their costs is available on this page or by typing !combatinfo ability on the MUSH * Abilities are purchased PER MODE: if you get Flight in plane mode, you don't automatically get it in robot mode too. * Abilities are NOT inclusive: FTL does NOT include Space-Flight or Flight and Dive does NOT include Swim. * Certain abilities require special approval and are flagged as such on !combatinfo. Any 8 or 10 point ability requires majority approval of all Wizards. * All Decepticons get Flight ability in their robot mode for free Skills * These are unique "character aspects" that are not covered by the code. By default, all new Original Characters get three skills for free. * You can buy extra skills for 0.5 CP each, or three skills at a time for 1 CP. There is no limit to how many skills a character can have. Attacks Attack Name This can be pretty much anything you want! Try to make it unique to your character if it is his or her "signature" ability/attack. Note that you can not have a custom attack name that starts with or matches the name of one of the free global attacks (type !globals for a list of these). For example, you can not have a "Ram" attack, or a "Ramming Speed" attack, because either one would conflict with the "Ram" global. Attack-Type * You can find a list by typing !combatinfo attack-type. * Ranged, Melee, and Velocity attack-types do not add any cost in CP to the attack. * Science attack-types add (1) CP to the attack. * Area-Ranged and Area-Melee add two (2) CP to the attack's price. Damage Level * Damage costs one CP per level. * Level 2 attacks which are not areas and/or do not have effects are not recommended, since they are no better than the free level 2 global attacks. * Remember that OCs may not start with an attack value or a damage level higher than 8, and are very unlikely to exceed that, even through later upgrades. Damage Type * You can find a list on this page or by typing !combatinfo damage-type on the MUSH. * All attacks have at least one damage type. Most attacks have only one. The first damage type is free. * Additional damage types cost 1 CP each. This cost is just to keep types meaningful by discouraging excessive multiple-typed attacks. Bear in mind that although additional types make an attack more likely to find an opponent's weakness(es), it also makes the attack more likely to run into their protection(s). * For almost ALL Melee attacks, the Damage Type should be IMPACT Effects * It is by no means required to have any effects on any of your attacks. They are not mandatory. That said, there is very little point in having more than one attack of the same attack type in the same mode unless they differ in their effects. (This is because attacks can be "pulled," so that the higher-ranked attack can be used to do the same thing as the lower.) * You can find a list by typing !combatinfo effect or by going to the Effects page. * Effect costs and descriptions are detailed on the !combatinfo screen * Effects with a negative cost are penalties. They make your attack "worse" (Although sometimes more fun.) and reduce the cost of the attack, to a minimum of 1 CP. Attack Point Limits Rare These types of attacks are "rare" and will receive heavy scrutiny: *Attacks that cost over 8 CP total *Any attack with a damage level of 7 or 8 associated with high (8) combat stat * Attacks that have 2 or more "positive" effects (e.g. Blind AND Cripple). * Area-Attacks with 3+ CP worth of effects on them * Attacks with 3 or more damage types * Velocity-based attacks on characters with high (8 and up) velocity Restricted These types of attacks are extremely rare and require majority approval from the Wizards: *Any attack with a damage level higher than 8 *Any attack that costs more than 10 CP total *Area-Attacks with the Stun effect and Area-attacks with the Repeat effect Attack Creation Tips * You can "pull" your attacks to lower damage levels. So it is pointless to have both a Level 2 Energy attack and a Level 4 Energy attack. Just buy the Level 4, and whenever appropriate, "pull" it to level 2 (or 3 or 1 or even 0). You can even rename it on the fly. This will save points. * You can temporarily "cancel" your attack effects. So it is pointless to have both a vanilla Level 3 Energy attack and Level 3 Energy + Blind attack. Whenever you want to use the "vanilla" version, just cancel the Blind effect before you attack. You will save points this way as well. * Consider using some of the negative Effects (like Overpowered or Inaccurate) to offset your higher-cost attacks and add flavor. Ammunition-Based Attacks ::If you want to get the AMMO effect on one or more of your attacks, you will need to read this. Attacks with the AMMO Effect do not cost energon when used in a fight. Instead they deplete a limited store of ammunition. If you've ever played Battletech or its derivatives, the advantages and disadvantages of this system should be immediately apparent to you: mechs built to use a lot of energy weapons have to manage their heat, but they also have plenty of heat sinks. Mechs built to use a lot of munitions don't have to worry about heat so much, but they can run out of ammo and they have very few heat sinks for what lasers they do have. * Cost in CP is the same as an energon-based attack. Example: Level 6 Ranged still costs 6 CP. * Choose a name for its ammunition. For instance, a "Missile" attack might have "Missiles" for ammunition. If you plan to use multiple similar ammo attacks but you don't want them to share a bin, you'll need to come up with different names for each, like "20mm Belts" and "40mm Belts." * Your character will be set up with a bin containing 10 - (attack's total CP) in units. For example, a bin of Level 6 missiles with no special effects contains 4 "shots." This need not be taken literally. If the same attack is described as launching a barrage of tiny missiles, it is still referred to as a "4-shot bin." * The number of shots in the bin determines how many times you can use that attack before needing to reload. Reloading can be done either at an NPC, once every two weeks, or by a player character with the Resupply ability, once every week. * Every full ammo bin a character has reduces their starting energon by 10, to "make room" for the ammunition. All characters normally start with 50 energon, (Energon is a core stat which cannot be altered otherwise.) so a character with two bins will have a "fuel tank" 30e in size. That's all! Most of the time, anyhow. Continue if you want to get a little fancier with it. Ammunition Special Cases If you are not interested in ammunition-based attacks skip this section. You can choose to increase or decrease the amount of munitions you get with your attack. (Also known as "bin size") For the purposes of demonstration we are using the example attack from earlier: A Level 6 Ranged "Missile" attack. As we all know by now, the default ammunition amount for this attack is 10 - 6 = 4, and reduces your maximum Energon by 10. Half Bin For a discount of 25% off the cost of the attack (rounded down) you can get a half-bin (2 rank 6 missiles). This reduces your maximum Energon by 5 instead of 10. Shared ("Empty") Bin For a discount of 50% you can get no shots at all, which means the attack won't be usable unless you already have another attack that uses the same ammo (in either mode), in which case they'll share the primary attack's bin (see below). Your energon max remains the same. Sharing Ammunition Across Attacks Attacks that share an ammunition bin must total to the same CP value. For example, a level 6 ranged ballistic attack (6 CP) and a level 3 ranged ballistic attack with the Shatter effect (6 CP) could share the same ammunition bin, but a level 6 ranged ballistic attack (6 CP) could not share an ammunition bin with a level 4 ranged ballistic corrupt attack (8 CP). In order to share bins, designate one attack with a non-zero bin as the primary, and one or more attacks with empty bins as the secondary or secondaries. For instance, Crash buys a short-range-missile rack in his car mode, but decides that he also wants to be able to use these same SRMs in his robot mode. He doesn't want two separate bins as sometimes there are advantages to being in one mode or the other, so he would like to be able to access his full stack of SRMs in either mode. Crash buys a full bin of six level 4 rockets for 4CP in mode2. Then he buys an empty bin of 0 level 4 rockets in mode1. Because the mode1 attack is an empty bin, it only costs him 2CP. He tells the charstaffer that his mode2 "SRM Rack" attack is the primary, and the mode1 "SRM Rack" is the secondary, both using the "SRM" ammo type. Now he has a shared bin! He can fire all six short-range-missiles in either mode. He loses 10 points of maximum energon capacity. Let's say that later on, Crash decides he wants to be able to launch gyro-disruptor missiles from the same rack, in his car mode. He decides that he doesn't want to increase the size of the rack; he'll keep the same six-shot capacity, but add something new that it can do. He buys a level 2 cripple attack in mode2 which he names "Gyro Missile" with an empty bin. This costs him another 2CP ((2+2)/2). Because the attack value is still 4 (2 plus cripple) it can share the existing bin, so the ammo type is "SRM." He names this as a secondary of the original mode2 "SRM Rack" attack. More time passes, and Crash decides that he wants to expand his missile rack further. He gets Perceptor's help and Perceptor invents a version of his SRMs which has the guidance system simplified in order to make room for more explosives. He wants to be able to launch these variant missiles in both modes. Crash decides that he needs to make his rack bigger now that he's got all these nifty missile attacks, so this time he's going to expand his total shots. Crash buys a level 6 inaccurate "Heavy SRM" attack in both robot and car modes. Both of these attacks have an empty bin, so they cost just 2CP each ((6-2)/2). Now, to expand his rack, he has two options. He can increase it by a half bin, or by a full bin. A half bin would give him 9 tubes in his SRM rack, a double bin would give him 12. He decides that 9 is still plenty, and buys an additional half bin on his PRIMARY attack (the mode2 "SRM Rack," if you recall). This costs 75% of the full cost of that attack. Since the full cost is 4, he pays 3CP to increase his rack size. So, now Crash is pretty fancy! He has a 9-tube rack of short-range missiles. In mode1, he can fire rank 4 normal missiles and rank 6 inaccurate missiles. In mode2, he can fire both of those AND rank 2 crippling missiles. He can use all nine tubes in either mode. The whole setup has cost him a total of 15CP. Double Bin By paying double the normal CP/AP cost you can get a double bin (8 rank 6 missiles). The double bin reduces your Energon max by an additional 10 (20 total). Ammunition Special Cases Example * Lugnut the Decepticon transforms into a big ol' B-52 bomber and wants a Level 8 Mega-Bomb attack in his 2nd mode. At level 8, this attack would cost 8 CP. As an AMMO-attack, it will come standard with 2 Mega-Bombs. * If Lugnut wants to pay double (16 CP) he can get an attack with 4 Mega-Bombs (2 doubled) * If Lugnut wants to get 25% off (6 CP) he can get 1 Mega-Bomb (half of 2) * Since Lugnut is simple-minded he decides to pay 8 and take the standard 2 ammo-units * Now Lugnut is thinking about attacks for his robot mode. He decides that he wants to be able to use the same Mega-Bombs as a robot. So he buys another Level 8 attack, which would normally cost 8 CP, but since he wants to use the SAME 2 Mega-Bombs, he is buying an "empty bin" and therefore pays 50% of 8 CP = 4 CP. Humans Stat Limits * FRP1 has a maximum value of 4, because firepower is not relative to size. * SIZE1 has a mandatory value of 2, and is free. * VEL1 has a mandatory value of 1, and is free. * ARM1 has a maximum value of 2. ARM1 over 0 requires justification. (Such as being an EDC soldier.) Ability Limits * Humans may not purchase Flight or Space-Flight. That's what their vehicles and exo-modes are for. Protection * Humans may not have resistances or weaknesses in their human modes. Exo-Suits and Vehicles * Human OCs with Operator can generate an exo-suit or vehicle at creation/application. This is represented as one or more additional modes, not subject to the same limits as the human mode. * Humans can spend pooled CP on any or all of their modes in the same way that other OCs can. They can also spend Advancement Points (AP) on their human mode, or their exo-mode(s), later on. This is covered in UpgradingCharacters. Aliens The Transformers world is full of aliens and TF2005 MUSH is no different. With the exception of Quintessons (see below), aliens are applied for in this "catch all" category. Aliens are judged a little more harshly than humans of similar power level, partly to make sure they are within theme, and partly because aliens are not factioned by default. This is especially the case for aliens of a canonical species not already represented by other characters. Dubiously canonical species will be examined skeptically. Entirely "original" alien species not represented anywhere in the canon are forbidden. Stat Limits * Humanoid aliens like Nebulans have the same stat limits and discounts as humans. * Non-humanoid aliens do not have strict stat limits, except insofar as all OCs have stat limits, and do not receive the humanoid discounts. Stat Costs * Non-humanoids can be smaller than humans, receiving a 1 CP discount if they are size 1. Size 0 is not an option. Non-humanoids can also be larger than humans, at a cost of 2 CP per size increase. * Non-humanoids must pay for their VEL at a rate of 0.5 CP per point. * ARM starts at 0 and is priced and limited as on a Transformer's altmode. Modes * Humanoids may buy exo-modes in the same manner as humans. * Non-humanoids should only have one mode, unless they are Quintessons; if so, see the next section. Protection * Aliens may have balanced resistances and weaknesses just like Transformers Quintessons * Default number of faces is three (3) at no charge. * Single-faced Quintessons are a different body type which receives a 4CP discount but cannot later upgrade to be multi-faced. * Maximum number of faces is five (5), at 2 CP per face. Because Quintessons are the same in each mode, apart from the face displayed, faces are purely cosmetic and determine the rank of the Quintesson in their social hierarchy. * As per TF:2005 Tradition (the only real source we have) faces are one-word names that represent the primary function of that face: ** e.g. "Death", "Termination", "Judge", "Diplomat", "Death", "Executioner", "Tactician", etc * All Quintesson faces share all of the same stats, both core and mode stats. Any change to one, changes them all. Stats are paid for only once, as if the character had only one mode. * Mandatory Size is 4, this does not cost anything. * Mandatory Velocity is 4, this also does not cost anything. * None of a Quintesson's attacks may have 3 or more damage ranks. Quintesson attacks are still limited to a total value of 8 CP each. Typically Quintesson attacks have most of their value represented in the form of effects that destabilize or disable an enemy without doing much damage. They rely on their Sharkticon hordes to do their dirty work for them. * All abilities are allowed: they are paid for once and are available in all faces. Junkions * Junkion altmodes are usually size 5 motorcycles. A Junkion's mode1 may be size 5 or 6. Typically the altmode's attacks will have the CONTROL effect. This permits Junkions to ride each other interchangeably into battle as depicted in canon. * Junkions tend to have lower armor then other Transformers. * Junkion armor is not capped in either mode but higher values will require more justification than a regular Transformer. * To make up for this, Junkions have the following advantages: ** They can be patched during combat (by someone with the REPAIR, REINFORCE or RECALIBRATE abilities) an unlimited number of times. Standard Transformers are limited to "once per fight." ** If they are on their home planet (The Planet Junk) Junkions can use the junkdive ability to re-attach various parts and heal themselves during combat an unlimited number of times. * All other limits as per regular Transformers. OC Ideas Some ideas for OC Generation can be found in the following pages: OC Ideas - Sample Attacks - Sample Builds